


Flowers and Politics

by kitkatkaylie



Series: The Winter's Queen [5]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Can Oberyn exist in a fic without flirting?, Flirting, I think not, M/M, Plotting, Politics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:19:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22040182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitkatkaylie/pseuds/kitkatkaylie
Summary: It is not just in Kings Landing that plots occur, and if the plotting is accompanied by wine and flirting, well whoever said treason was boring?
Relationships: Implied Oberyn Martell/Brynden Tully, Oberyn Martell/Ellaria Sand, Oberyn Martell/Willas Tyrell
Series: The Winter's Queen [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1504532
Comments: 4
Kudos: 110





	Flowers and Politics

**Author's Note:**

> Set halfway through Chapter 2 of A Crown of Iron.

“My dear sweet boy.”

Willas should have expected that Oberyn would not have greeted him properly, that instead he would have used an endearment, the only saving grace was that none of his family were around to see his flush at the prince’s words.

“Oberyn, how good it is to see you, I had thought you would be travelling to Kings Landing by ship instead of road.” Willas inclined his head the appropriate amount.

Oberyn did not return the gesture, instead he swept Willas up in a hug, but a careful hug, one that did not cause any unnecessary pressure to be put upon his knee.

“I found that I could not resist the opportunity to visit you my sweet one, without your grandmother breathing down my neck. Not when I am about to head into the lion’s den.”

There was some other reason for his visit, Willas could hear that in his voice, but that did not mean his words were untrue. He flushed slightly at the implications of Oberyn’s words, without his family around it was true that they could be a little less discreet in their affections.

“Well you are welcome, dear friend. Provided, of course, that you have brought the Lady Ellaria with you, I find she is quite the apt ally when you are at your most insufferable.” Willas would not normally be so bold, but his grandmother was not around to scold him for such words and his siblings were not there to tease him for the affection that filled them.

“My dear Ellaria would not let me leave Dorne without her, do not fear, she believes that without her presence I would do something stupid and get myself killed.” Oberyn patted Willas’ hand where it rested atop his cane.

“Come then, you cannot tarry over long, but I am sure a few days of rest and hearty food will do you all good.” Willas gestured to the entrance to Highgarden Keep, “I have had rooms prepared for you all, and would like to invite you Oberyn and he lovely Ellaria to join me for a drink when you have had the chance to freshen up. I will even have a Dornish red brought up for you, as I know of your distaste for Arbour gold.”

Oberyn grinned at that, “You are as thoughtful as you are beautiful, sweet one.”

* * *

Willas did not use his father’s study when he was acting Lord of Highgarden, he preferred to use his own for it was on a lower floor than his father’s, was easier to access when he was unable to leave his chair.

The shelves of books and view over the stables was comforting, made the room a retreat from the hustle and bustle of the keep, as well as somewhere he was quite content sitting for hours upon end if need be.

It was to here that he had directed that the wine be brought, that Oberyn could bring him the true reason for why he had travelled by road instead of ship. He did not trust any other room in the keep to be safe to speak freely in.

“Ellaria sends her apologies,” Oberyn said, as he swanned into the room, “But the prospect of a bath was far too tempting to give up for our company.”

Willas poured himself and Oberyn a glass of wine and answered as he handed the appropriate one over.

“That is no trouble, we can have a lovely catch up over dinner tonight.”

Oberyn stared into his deep red wine as though it held all the answers and looked up at Willas with a solemnity that seemed strange in his normally laughing eyes.

“Tell me, sweet boy, what is it you know of Sansa Stark.”

Willas took a long sip of his wine to try and find the right words with which to answer, truthfully he did not know a lot about the eldest Stark girl, only that she was the only one still alive and that his grandmother and sister had tried to arrange a betrothal between them.

Seeing as the girl was only just three and ten, he was rather thankful that such a thing had fallen through, he had no desire to be wed to a girl younger than his baby sister. He did regret however, the knowledge that a betrothal had been arranged in place between the girl and the Imp. She did not deserve to be married into the House that had destroyed her family.

“Only what my sister has told me, she has attempted to befriend Lady Stark.”

Oberyn looked at him with a piercing gaze and nodded sharply, “I had heard as much. I received a letter the other day, from a mutual friend of ours, requesting aid.”

Willas scanned his mind for who the author of such a request could be, and how it might have tied into their conversation on Sansa Stark, and then it hit him like a stack of books falling from a shelf.

He limped over to the door and pushed it shut, in an attempt to stop their conversation filtering out into the corridors, one could never be too careful, not with the Spider’s Webs spanning the whole of Westeros.

“You’ve heard from Brynden?” He quietly exclaimed, “But last I heard he was besieged by the Lannisters and Freys at Riverrun.”

Oberyn grinned a wicked grin, “Then his plan is working. It’s a decoy. As we speak, he is waiting for a chance to rescue his Queen from Kings Landing. A chance he has requested my aid in providing.”

The cog began to turn in Willas’ head, if Brynden succeeded in his mission then the whole game board would shift once again. With a new queen on the board, even one without the strength her brother had commanded, the fighting would begin once more, the Vale might even come into the fight this time, for the support of a girl meant to look like their Lady. And from what Margaery had said, Lady Stark was not unintelligent and was easy to love, she would likely know the importance of alliances and winning over the smallfolk, and would not have a difficult time at such a thing.

If the Reach offered her support at the start of her reign she would be grateful to them, would likely thank them with a very favourable deal, maybe even a marriage alliance (to Loras maybe, he was of a much more appropriate age).

“And are you going to offer your aid?” Willas asked, taking another sip of his wine.

“But of course, a chance to rescue a beautiful maiden and infuriate Tywin Lannister, it is like all my name-days have come at once.”

Willas really should have expected that answer.

“I will recall my brother from Kings Landing, he will be disappointed to be sure, to miss the wedding of my sweet sister, but I do trust him.” Willas said slowly, “I shall not tell anyone else until after he has retreated with a number of the forces, ostensibly to defend Old Town from the Ironborn. Should he make a diversion, well, my dear brother has always been weak to the tales of maidens and pleas of his wife.”

Oberyn smirked a him, “Have I ever told you how much I adore your brain?”

Willas smirked back and nodded, it was one of Oberyn’s favourite compliments, along with the ones about his cheekbones.

Oberyn set his glass down so that he could caress Willas’ cheek and he leaned into the touch slightly, he did like having Oberyn around, the way he cared for him without being overbearing. It was refreshing.

“So dear one,” Willas said, “What are your plans for after the fair maiden is rescued? What do you mean to do with the daughter you have hidden in your retinue, beside watch as she terrorises my baby brother again?”

“Tyene would not do such a thing,” Oberyn protested, “She is a good girl, despite her inquisitive nature and desire to see how long your brother remains oblivious to the fact that she knows he has no interest in the fairer sex.”

“Loras will likely remain clueless for a while longer. I do have a request of you however,” Willas moved his own hand to Oberyn’s cheek, “I would have you avenge Renly, when he died something of my brother died too.”

Oberyn stared into his eyes with a fierce intensity that allowed a glimpse of the famed Red Viper to show through.

“For you sweet boy, of course I will.”

* * *

It was sweet to see the way that Oberyn’s eyes lit up when he saw Ellaria already in the dining room, dressed in a fresh gown and the ends of her hair still damp.

There was no shortage of food in the Reach, not like there was elsewhere in Westeros, and Willas was already calculating how much of the food he could send as a gift with his brother and with how much could be traded for the furs and lumber they would need when the winter began properly.

“Lady Ellaria,” Willas brought her hand to his lips, “You look more beautiful than ever.”

Ellaria smiled at him gently, “Thank you for hosting us Lord Willas, I am sorry that we are imposing on your hospitality, but you know how Oberyn is when he gets an idea in his head,”

She tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and allowed him to lead her to the dinner table where a generous spread was already laid out.

“It is no trouble, my lady, I am always glad to see such good friends, and to offer what help I can, even if it is just a hot bath mid-way through a long journey.”

Ellaria giggled lightly and her eyes flashed knowingly, she could read beneath the surface of his words, she knew he had agreed to help them.

Or at least, he assumed that Oberyn was not stupid enough to keep his treasonous plans from the woman who rarely left his side and the mother of many of his children.

Her hand squeezed lightly at his arm and she smiled before letting out a delighted gasp as he settled her into her seat.

“Why all of this looks wonderful, you do spoil us.”

Oberyn settled on the other side of Willas’ chair and lounged with a leonine grace, “That you do sweet one, our horses shall be unable to carry our weight if you insist on feeding us so well during our time here.”

Willas did not deign Oberyn’s attempt at humour with an answer, it would only encourage him to thinking his jokes were good.

“You ae not jealous, my lady?” He asked Ellaria instead, in a voice too low to be heard by anyone else. “That Oberyn’s attention will soon be split again.”

“Oh dear me no,” Ellaria answered, “I know he will come back to me in the end, and in the mean time I have heard good things about some of the Northern women, it will be a new experience indeed. Besides, when I think of what a girl the same age as my Elia must be going through at the hands of those monsters, well, how could we not try and help her?”

Willas had forgotten that Elia Sand was the same age as Lady Stark, he supposed that it made the quest all the more personal for Oberyn and Elia. People may call lions and wolves fierce when it came to protecting their cubs, but he had found that vipers were no less protective of their young.

* * *

Willas did not ride often anymore, but he would not waste time by recalling Garlan all the way to Highgarden, not when he could meet him along the Rose Road.

“Garlan!” He called out, when his brother’s banners were close enough to almost see the stitching.

The horse he knew to be Garlan’s sped up towards him, and Willas made no attempt to hide the grin that spilled out onto his cheeks. He knew a brother was not supposed to have a favourite sibling, but Garlan was his.

“Willas! Are you alright? Why did you recall us?” Garlan’s gaze searched him, as though checking for illness or injury.

“I have a request to ask of you, but it is one that will not be easy.” Willas said softly, “I would have you ride to meet the rest of Oberyn’s host, to join them in their valiant quest.”

Confusion filled his brother’s face and Oberyn knew he had to elaborate.

“Do you recall Ser Brynden Tully, and the affection that Oberyn holds for him? And do you also recall that there is little more that Oberyn enjoys than pissing off the Lannisters?” Willas asked conversationally.

Comprehension dawned on Garlan’s face, “You want me to help take back the Riverlands and the North.”

“Well you did always want to be a hero in a song, dear brother, and what else would he man who helps a beautiful young queen reclaim her homeland be?”

“And of course in addition to that the young queen will be grateful to our House and will help us remove the threat the Lannisters pose to our sweet baby sister.” Garlan responded, a new light in his eyes.

“Exactly dear brother. Exactly.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully this will help clear up why the Tyrells and Martells help Brynden and Sansa, and some of the things that are discussed will be important later on... hint hint :) 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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